The U.S. military conducted an airstrike in Iraq on Thursday, killing a leader within an Iraqi militia faction the U.S. military assessed was plotting to attack U.S. forces in the country.
On Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced a U.S. airstrike killed Mushtaq Jawad Kazim al-Jawari, also known as Abu Taqwa, a leader within Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HAN).
HAN has been affiliated in the past with Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization overseeing several different militia factions. The PMF was initially formed in 2014 to oversee the various Iraqi factions battling the internationally designated terrorist group known as ISIS, though some PMF factions have clashed with U.S. forces in Iraq over the years.
“Abu Taqwa was actively involved in planning and carrying out attacks against American personnel,” Brig. Gen. Ryder said. “The strike also killed another HAN member. It is important to note that the strike was taken in self-defense, that no civilians were harmed, and that no infrastructure or facilities were struck.”
Brig. Gen. Ryder repeatedly declined to provide details about the exact nature of the threat the U.S. military assessed Mr. Abu Taqwa posed to U.S. forces in the region.
The Pentagon spokesman described HAN as an Iranian proxy group. The U.S. military has assessed Iraqi factions backed by Iran have been responsible for dozens of drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. These attacks targeting U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria came just days after members of Hamas—a U.S. and Israeli designated terrorist group—breached the Israel–Gaza barrier on Oct. 7, and proceeded to kill and kidnap hundreds of people across southern Israel. The Israeli side has responded to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack by launching airstrikes and ground combat operations throughout the Gaza Strip.
Iraqi Officials Condemn US Strike
Thursday’s strike prompted condemnation within the Iraqi government and the PMF.Mr. Rasool’s statement was relayed through the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office.
When asked if the U.S. military had notified the Iraqi government prior to the strike, Brig. Gen. Ryder said the Iraqi government is “an important and valued partner,” that U.S. forces remain in Iraq at the invitation of the Iraqi government, and that “we will continue to consult closely with the Iraqi government about the safety and security of U.S. forces.” He declined to say directly that the U.S. side cleared the Thursday strike with the Iraqi government.
During the Thursday Pentagon press conference, Brig. Gen. Ryder declined to comment on the condemnations of the U.S. strike from within the Iraqi government.
